Distance Coaching – What? Why? How?
If there is something that covid has taught us, it is to adapt to the situations we are presented with. One adjustment that members of the health and fitness industry have adopted into their practice is distance coaching.
Distance coaching can be completed in different ways:
- Strictly Online/Virtual: virtual training assessment and sessions through FaceTime, Zoom, Google Meet, or the platform of your choice.
- Online Programming: Follow a program created for you on an app specifically for your home gym or local gym.
- Hybrid model: come in person for instruction and coaching and follow your program on your own with occasional virtual training sessions.
Follow along to learn more about distance coaching at Acumen.
Program Design
Proper program design requires a movement screen that can be done virtually or in person. This ensures that your team of providers has an appropriate baseline and background to program from. This requires going through basic movement patterns to identify any areas that are tight, weak, sore, imbalanced, and in some cases, injured. Our aim and focus with every program is to hand select every exercise to positively improve your movement, range of motion, strength, speed, and power required to complete your daily tasks, and sport or get you one step closer to your goals.
Virtual Training Sessions
These sessions are 1-on-1 with a strength coach virtually, using a delivery method as described above. All that is required is that you bring your phone, iPad, or laptop to the gym with you, whether that means leaving the couch to get to the basement or going for a car ride to your training facility. Your coach is on the call with you providing instruction, demonstration, and possible modifications throughout the session.
Hybrid In-Person + Virtual Training Sessions
1-on-1 or 2-on-1 in-person with periodic distance coaching. This model is gaining popularity among our staff. We work with many clients and athletes that live out of town. In this instance, we use an in-person appointment to complete the movement assessment and performance testing. Based on the assessment findings our coaches develop a program tailored for you. A zoom, facetime, or phone call then happens with the client/athlete to review the program. This is the program you will follow for 4-6 weeks. If you can come back in person to see us we use the program created and also begin to advance the program making the necessary changes to ensure you are getting the most out of your training.
Online Programming
A program is created for you and you follow it, with check-ins as needed. Similar to what we mentioned above. We encourage clients and athletes to come in person for the movement screen and performance testing. We will then deliver the program to you upon completion, this meeting is virtual. At this point, we will be able to periodically check in with you to ensure the program is progressing and you are getting what you need from it. After a 4-6 week period, you may find yourself interested in an updated program. At this point, we would start the cycle over again, invite you to redo your movement screen and performance testing virtually or in person, track your progress, and begin advancing the exercises for the next phase of your program.
Program Delivery
Programs are delivered through an app called PUSH Pro and it gives you the flexibility to have it right on your phone. It becomes very portable this way. You can walk into your local gym and start your session and do the same thing from the comfort of your home gym or living room. In some cases, we still create our programs the old-school way. Pen and paper. Just kidding, we still create some using spreadsheets with videos embedded as needed to make things as user-friendly as possible for the person using it.
Check out this link on how to use the app: Push Pro Demo
Frequently Asked Questions
What if I do not have a full gym at home?
No equipment, no problem. We are happy to program according to what you have available to you. We can make adjustments to suit a bodyweight style of program and utilize things around the house to complete some more complex movements. We can also provide some recommendations as to what equipment might be most beneficial to you, this would help improve our programming and exercise selection.
Does online training replace the need for in-person appointments?
This is a tough one. Online and distance coaching has opened the door to spending more time with clients and keeping tabs on them sort of speak. However in our opinion, in-person sessions can be so much more specific, coaching form and progressing exercises become easier when you can see firsthand how someone is moving. We find that people with a moderate to advanced knowledge in the gym already will greatly benefit from online/distance training as it is not all brand new. You have a foundation built and we are simply progressing things along for you. If someone is brand new to exercise and lifting, we would suggest either the hybrid model or some intervention in-person to learn and master the basic movement patterns, squat, hinge, lunge, row, and push-up variations.
What do I need?
A willingness to work. Some self-discipline. A phone, computer, iPad, or tablet. A space to move around in.
